As we start to age, there are different nutritional and movement needs that we need to add into our daily lives. When it comes to the older population, it is extremely important to focus on a couple specifics:Protein
Water and hydration
Mineral depletion
Coordination
Balance
For the elderly, these start to become extremely necessary to feel great and safe each and every day.

Over the past couple of decades, we have seen a big increase in neurotransmitter dysfunction ranging from anxiety and depression, to Alzheimer's and even Schizophrenia. The 4 main neurotransmitters that we pay attention to are:Serotonin
GABA
Catecholamines
Endorphins
There has been a lot of information coming out about the power of the Ketogenic Diet for optimal brain function, but that relates mostly to the brain cells using ketones as the primary fuel source compared to glucose. What we don't hear about often enough is the types of amino acids needed to produce neurotransmitters.

It has been estimated that over 45 million Americans participate in diets each year, and less than 5% continue to maintain the diet after a couple of months. This means there is a big disconnect between diets, and how to make it a lifestyle change. Katie Garces says that what we are missing in most diets is teaching about intuitive eating.As we well know, we have lost most of our connection with the food that we eat because food has become very convenient, and we don't have to work hard to get it. Because of the convenience, we start to lose our ability to understand what our body needs in terms of nutrients and foods.

If you are 40 or older, then it is expected that you will gain weight and become increasingly more tired.This is a common thought for women who are getting older. Weight gain, insomnia, and decreased energy is just a byproduct of aging, and there is nothing you can do about it...Or so we thought. These issues are actually a sign of dysregulation in the endocrine system, and it shows that your body is struggling to regulate hormones effectively. There actually is hope in getting back your energy, and to regulate hormones properly!

If you have ever go in for your yearly checkup with your doctor, there is no doubt that at some point you have gone through some diagnostic tools, such as blood tests, to see your nutrient and hormone levels. Many times this is a Comprehensive Wellness Panel, and will tell you information such as your red and white blood counts, lipid profile, and some minerals.
When you start to have some health symptoms, your doctor may order some other tests for further information. The idea to dig deeper is great, but many times these tests aren't looking in the right areas, or the doctors aren't using them to figure out the root causes.For instance, if you show signs of a thyroid issue, the doctor will typically run a TSH test, and if you are lucky, they may even check for T4 and T3. However, these are only a small part of the puzzle as there are other hormones associated with the thyroid, and this still isn't incorporating the results into the big picture of the body!

Have you ever been so stressed out that you end up eating an entire bag of chips or something else crunchy? What about being so sad that you down a whole thing of ice cream? If so, you aren't alone, and our emotional eating has a lot to do with different types of textures.Different types of textures are associated with different emotions we are experiencing because of how our body perceives these textures. For instance, a creamy texture can be really soothing, which is why we turn to the ice cream when we are sad. Once we understand how these textures integrate with our emotional eating, we can then take this information and understand what it is our body is trying to tell us!

When was the last time you thought about how your mineral levels are doing? Likely your answer is 'never', or at the most you say that you get calcium from your milk. So if we don't think about minerals, why would heavy metal toxicity become something we are interested in?As Wendy Myers said in our podcast, the minerals are the spark plugs for the body. When minerals are out of balance, then a lot of dysfunction can start to occur. Heavy metals are known to place themselves where normal minerals are supposed to be in the body, however instead of improving our function, it creates heavy metal toxicity.

As a Schedule 1 substance, CBD and hemp has been debated for a long time about whether this is a dangerous plant for humans to use. However, with the rise in states legalizing marijuana, and people being open to try new options, we have seen a lot of benefits to using CBD Oil.In fact, some of the most common reports of CBD Oil usage is for seizures, anxiety, and even chronic pain. And you know what we don't ever hear about? The psychoactive properties of CBD Oil......because there are none.

As the number 1 leading cause of death in America, heart disease is a problem that we've had a hard time fixing. For most cardiologists, they spend their time throwing pills at patients, or opening them up to fix the issue.For years we have been told that saturated fat is evil, and that cholesterol will kill us all. While everyone has been eating low-fat, sugar intake has increased dramatically, and heart disease has also risen.So maybe the problem isn't the cholesterol-rich foods we used to eat, but instead are other issues with our food system and out stress levels.

We live in an age where 1 in 2 people will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life. The sad part is, people don't really want to discuss this issue, and we never hear anything about the cancer support that is provided for these individuals.It is a very scary diagnosis to receive, but we can't keep quiet about the different options for treatment. Yes there is chemo and radiation as options, but these literally just kill the area around the cancer cells with the hopes it'll kill the cancer as well.

Roughly 1 in 4 women suffer from some form of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction (PFD). There could be quite a few areas within the pelvic floor that might not function properly, but the most common issue is incontinence. Nearly 1 in 5 women suffer from urinary incontinence, which makes up the majority of PFDs.For an issue that is so widely spread across our communities, many of the conversations aren't about ways to improve these issues. Most people assume that incontinence is just a byproduct of getting older.

It is no surprise that families have a hard time to create healthy routines for the entire family. With young kids running around (or even teenagers), parents who work full time, and having to actually "adult", it can be stressful to build a healthy family.It can be very easy to throw in the towel on workouts and healthy eating, and resort to grabbing whatever is convenient and easy. You may think it is easier to give your child that extra snack so they don't cry instead of standing your ground and making them eat their veggies.To give in to convenience and taking the easy route does not create a healthy family. Training kids to receive treats for doing "good" things ingrains a reward pathway in the brain where they incorporate happiness and pleasure with snacks. This doesn't mean kids shouldn't get treats from time to time, but we do want to make sure they enjoy real food instead of constantly falling for processed junk.

We see many commercials for topical creams that are supposed to "treat" eczema. However, over 35 million Americans still suffer from eczema on a daily basis. Could there be more to the puzzle than just what we see on the outside of the body?Eczema is where patches of the skin becomes rough and inflammed. These patches can become itchy which may also lead to bleeding. Typically they are found on the hands and knees.While many people use topical creams or lotions to dry and reduce inflammation and re-hydrate the skin, there is usually an underlying issue that is more internal which is causing the eczema. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Stephanie Davis to learn more about ways to treat eczema.

We have been talking about mold a lot around here in our past few podcast episodes, and one of the common topics that comes up is the importance of the health of our living spaces. Which means, the air we breathe has a huge impact on our overall health, which is why the Molekule Air Purifier can be extremely helpful to those suffering from airborne pollutants!Years ago, I went from having all the energy in the world to barely being able to get out of bed each day within a couple week time-frame. It then took months and months before discovering that I was suffering from mold toxicity, and that the air I was breathing was full of mold spores.Many of us don't even know the damage mold can have to their living environments. And as we have learned in previous episodes, mold symptoms can mimic symptoms of a lot of other illnesses!The Molekule Air Purifier can help to eradicate these airborne pollutants which can reduce your overall reactions to these toxins.

Mold. When you think of mold, I am sure you instantly think of what grows on your fruits and vegetables if you don't eat them quick enough. If you think a little more, than you may have found some mold under the tiles of your bathroom from a small leak you had fixed, or somewhere else in the house where you did some remodeling.What we don't hear a whole lot about is the damage mold can do to our health. Breathing in mold spores can be very damaging to the body, and many times we don't even know we are breathing it in!

Many cultures have their own systems of energy that they correlate to the inner workings of the human body. In Chinese Medicine, these energy pathways are known as Meridians. Within the culture surrounding India, this is known as the Chakra System.The Chakras are known as a concentrated area of energy within the body. There are over 100 Chakra locations in the body, but there are 7 points that are the most common in the Chakra System.Dr. Steve Politis of Kineci Physical Therapy has been studying the Chakra System for many years, and has been incorporating it into his PT practice. He knows that there is much more to the body than just the physical component, therefore when he works with patients he is able to work with them on a deeper level.

Autoimmunity is where the body's own immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues within the body. This can result in many issues such as low thyroid, systemic pain in the muscles, and forms of arthritis.Usually those suffering from autoimmunity will have to take each day one day at a time. They could feel great today, and rundown tomorrow. This can make exercising a real challenge because you may not feel up for it.Julia Morichelli is a fitness trainer who also suffers from autoimmunity. She has been diagnosed with multiple autoimmune conditions, so she knows all too well how difficult exercising can be.

There are fitness studios, gyms, and performance centers for the exercise enthusiasts. And for those who are injured there are physical therapy clinics and chiropractic offices. It makes sense to separate out these specialties into their own spaces.But can you actually combine all of these areas of the health and wellness industry together? In physical therapy can the exercise someone needs to heal from an injury also be used as a way to increase their fitness level? And vice versa, can an exercise at the gym help with the rehab process, or even prevent an injury from occurring?Our guest Pat McCloskey answers these questions within this podcast episode. At his training studio they are combining fitness routines with the rehabilitation process.

If you look around you, you may notice that many things come in a triad. This is because registering a concept in a set of 3 is very easy for the brain to comprehend.This is why we celebrate Gold, Silver and Bronze for events, because if we had a fourth option, it would be more difficult to remember. This is also why many books are written in 3s, such as trilogies, or the 3 musketeers.This is why the power of the triad becomes so important in any kind of rehab protocol. If we focus on groups of three, the brain and the body, plus the spirit (see what I did there??) will be impacted in a much more powerful way.

We all know about the basic five senses: hearing, taste, touch, sight, and smell. You may have even heard of the term the "sixth sense". Typically the sixth sense is known as something that isn't very describable, something that relates to your intuition.But could there be something else that we could classify as a sixth sense?Within the body we have a system of receptors that are responsible for reacting to specific movements and positions. These are known as the proprioceptors, and our guest today believes these should be known as the sixth sense.